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See the white horses of the North Wessex Downs gallop into the digital age

A new website launched this week whitehorsewalk.co.uk contains everything you need to know about the nine White Horses located in Wiltshire and Oxfordshire. In addition to maps and description of the full 100 mile route to visit them all, the resource includes; day walks and short circular loops, links to places to stay, art inspired by the landscape and a smart phone app for each white horse.

Supported by the North Wessex Downs Sustainable Development Fund, Walking the Wessex White Horses was created by artists Ali Pretty and Richard White working in partnership with Wiltshire College, the Wiltshire Heritage Museum and Visit Wiltshire.

Oliver Cripps from the North Wessex Downs said of the project;

“The “Walking the Wessex White Horses” website and apps are a rich resource for people who wish to explore the landscape of the North Wessex Downs AONB. The creative input of all participants, combined with the heritage, culture and natural environment really complement each other and show off the best of the area.”

As you approach each white horse the app takes you to a sound park: a series of recordings and audio files, music and sound art inspired by the landscape around the horse. Take a picnic, walk the circular walk and listen!

When developers Ali and Richard sought out new sounds for the apps, contributions were received from artists as far as Greece, Brazil and Kazakhstan as well as local Wiltshire artists. These sounds can also be heard on the short films produced for the installation at Wiltshire Museum.

The work is an extension of the Walking Wiltshire's White Horses project also led by Ali Richard and supported by Devizes Outdoor Celebratory Arts. The project generated a lively social media following, with Facebook and Flickr photostream pages. Have a look and join in!

For further information about the whitehorsewalk.co.uk website or details of how to apply for the North Wessex Downs Sustainable Development Fund, please contact the North Wessex Downs AONB office